Join EngenderHealth for a webinar and discussion on iatrogenic fistula on Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 9:30am Eastern Daylight Time.
Evidence is emerging that iatrogenic causes contribute significantly to the burden of genital fistula in low-income countries. Given the preventability and severity of fistula, data on iatrogenic fistula indicate the urgency of improving surgical training, supervision, and facility capacity, particularly amid increasing rates of cesarean section and gynecologic surgery in low-income countries. While data indicate the need for a consistent definition of iatrogenic fistula, people working on these issues have yet to reach a consensus on definitions or a minimum acceptable standard of surgical care in low-income countries.
Webinar learning objectives
- Review available data on iatrogenic fistula and recognize data gaps
- Identify challenges around developing a consensus on the definition of iatrogenic fistula
- Share successes in addressing iatrogenic fistula
- Hold a discussion following the panelists’ presentations to establish next steps
Registration information
Register for the webinar here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.
Panelists
Dr. Lauri Romanzi
Project Director
Lauri Romanzi is a physician and is Project Director for the Fistula Care Plus project. Dr. Romanzi is a U.S. board-certified gynecologist with subspecialty board credentials in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (FPMRS). She most recently served as Visiting Associate Professor of Female Pelvic Medicine at Yale University, engaged in fistula and FPMRS capacity building in Rwanda’s Human Resources for Health. She supported quality assurance at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali, developing graduate and postgraduate programs in gynecology and urogynecology for the University of Rwanda College of Health Sciences; she also developed a central academic and regional district hospital outreach care program for genital fistula, pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence, and other congenital and acquired pelvic floor disorders. Dr. Romanzi’s international program management experience in Africa and Asia includes program development and management, development of a national strategy for fistula eradication, protocol development and technical oversight, capacity building, database guidance, registry design, and grants acquisition. She has a vision for fully integrating fistula care into maternal health services, as well as integrating fistula care into the broader scope of female pelvic medicine service models. She has worked with most of the multilateral and bilateral agencies, international nongovernmental organizations, professional associations, and academic institutions in this field in various capacities, in such countries as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ghana, Guinea, Nepal, Niger, Senegal, Somaliland, and Togo.
Vandana Tripathi, MPH, PhD
Deputy Project Director
Vandana Tripathi is the Fistula Care Plus Deputy Director. Before joining EngenderHealth, she worked on research studies related to maternal and newborn health, particularly quality of care measures in Sub-Saharan Africa, through projects at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program. Prior to this, she served as the head of programs at HealthRight International, where she supervised the development, implementation, and evaluation of health and human rights projects, both globally and in the United States. Vandana has also worked on reproductive health and HIV and AIDS programs at a variety of organizations, including Planned Parenthood of New York City and the Ford Foundation. Vandana received her PhD from Johns Hopkins University, her MPH in maternal and child health from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and her BA from Brown University.
The webinar will be moderated by Bethany Cole, the Global Projects Manager on the Fistula Care Plus project. Please direct any inquiries about the webinar to bcole@EngenderHealth.org.
Learn more about the Fistula Care Plus and follow on Twitter.